Jimmy Dean wrote this about fellow actor John Mentoe ("Destry Rides Again"), who was 6' 5" tall. According to Dean's roommate (at the time), the song was intended to be a joke.
Floyd Cramer ("Last Date") was hired to play the piano on the recording, but wound up hitting a chunk of steel with a hammer instead. It was Floyd's idea to make the switch.
In the US, this was a monster hit with tremendous crossover appeal. Not only did it top the Hot 100 for five weeks, it was also #1 on the Country chart for two weeks, and #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart for 10 weeks. The next song to reach the top spot on all three charts was "Rhinestone Cowboy" by Glen Campbell in 1975.
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